Once again this year, in addition to international storytellers and delicious food, the Sandbar Storytelling Festival will highlight the talents of local musicians Oct. 13-14 at Saint Mary’s University. Music is another way to share stories that connect, entertain, and inspire, and these three groups have stories to tell!
Wing Dam Jammers perform all original songs
At 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, the Wing Dam Jammers will take the stage. This Americana band has been in existence since 2016. They have enjoyed iterations with three to six members. The current quartet (Chris Kendall on guitar and vocals, Mark Gunderson on upright bass and vocals, Mark Christensen on guitar and vocals, and Bruce Malenke on accordion and vocals) has been performing for three years, but each have been playing music socially and in various combos for over 40 years.
Enjoy all original music, written by Kendall that leans into bluegrass, folk, and acoustic rock selections with particular favoritism for music from the ’60s and ’70s.
“Winona has great stories to tell and many of my songs pay tribute to local people, places, and events,” Kendall said.
Buffalo Gals back together on reunion tour
The Buffalo Gals, an acoustic, five-piece folk/country band, will take the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. The band evolved out of an all-women square dance band back in the ’90s. Original Minneapolis members Mary DuShane on fiddle, Maureen Mullen on guitar, and dance caller Cathy Mosher on lead vocals and penny whistle convinced Winona fiddler Betsy Neil to become the fourth band member fairly early on.
In 1999, bass player and sound tech Doug Lohman helped produce their first recording, Buffalo Moon, and by 2004 and the release of their second CD, See You in the Morning, Lohman was a member of the band. After a gazillion gigs and lots of fun, their musical interests diverged, and the band quit touring, although everyone stayed engaged in musical performance.
This year, Neil suggested the group get together for a reunion. Several reunion shows are scheduled for this fall, featuring their twin fiddle sound on vintage cowgirl yodeling numbers, classic Cajun waltzes and two-steps, and their own arrangements of songs, old and new, from songwriters they admire.
Little Warriors Drumline is staying upbeat
The Little Warriors Drumline is Winona’s very own talented group of young musicians ages 7 to 17. Enjoy these talented and entertaining musicians 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. The drumline was started by Andre and Tara Bailey in 2019. Since then, they have been invited to perform for all kinds of Winona events, as well as throughout the region. The group has won first place in the Steamboat Days parade for two years in a row! The Little Warriors Drumline is all about showcasing young, talented kids playing funky beats with the goal of strengthening community and working toward a brighter future for our youth.
Single-Day Passes for the Sandbar Storytelling Festival are available at $50 for Friday or $75 for Saturday. Two-Day Passes are on sale for $100.
Single Tickets, available Sept. 18, are $15 for each session during the day and $20 for the evening sessions (which include music and storytelling concerts). Day Passes and Single Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door. Pay-as-you-can tickets, provided by WNB Financial, will be available at the door as well.
The Sandbar Storytelling Festival is sponsored by SEMAC. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the MN State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
For more information, email info@sandbarstorytellingfestival.org, sandbarwinona@gmail.com or call 507-703-6001.
